Super CIT Spotlight: Brooklyn Leonard

Monday, February 26th, 2018

We are excited to share with you all our latest Super CIT Spotlight featuring Brooklyn. Brooklyn has been a camper at Camp Birch Hill for six years and this past summer she was a shining star as a CIT. Brooklyn has so many creative talents that she was able to foster at camp, which we will hear all about in her answers below. Super CIT’s like Brooklyn are fantastic role models for our campers and turn our to be great counselors!

Tell us about your experience as a CIT:

I have imagined being a CIT since I was in Cabin B in 2011 and it was even better than I had ever dreamed of. I spent six weeks meeting new people and helping out counselors all I could while having fun with my best friends. Being in the oldest cabin on camp all the younger campers look up to you and know your name. Every year I dreaded the last day of camp because it meant one less year of camp, one year closer to my last year, and when I got to the last day of session three of my CIT year I realised that it was my last time as a camper in the hug circle and the last time I would see a lot of my friends for a few years but I would not trade my experience for the world. If I hadn’t met Rich Morell at a summer camp fair I would have never found a place where I burst into tears when I see my parents because I didn’t t want to leave. I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank Rich enough for bringing me to my home away from home.

What kinds of things did you learn in your time as a CIT that you feel would help you to become a great counselor?

I learned that a counselor is a whole lot of work but can also be a lot of fun. I learned that every counselor has a different style and they are all amazing in their own way. Whenever I had the opportunity to watch a cabin it was a different experience, each cabin has a unique group and I got to see how each cabin works first hand. The CIT program had made me feel like I am prepared to be a counselor to now, and I cannot wait to actually be a counselor!

Would you want to be a counselor at Camp Birch Hill?If so, why?

Of course! I would love be a counselor, I don’t know if I would be the same person today without the counselors and staff at Birch Hill. I would love to be able to influence a camper like how I was influenced at camp. There was never a time throughout the year that I didn’t think about camp and how long I would have to wait until I could be back at camp, whenever I would help a camper during the summer and make their day better, even if it was just a little bit, I that would me feel amazing.

Why do you think camp is an important experience for children to have?

Camp is something everyone should get to experience, I went to another camp and there is no comparison, none at all! Camp Birch Hill is a one in a million, there is nothing that could ever replace it. There is no one I know that has gone to another camp who has had the same experiences and the same connection to a summer camp like I have with Birch Hill. Everyone always asks why I am so happy to go away for six weeks and I tell them that it’s something that camp is my home away from home and I don’t know what I’m going to do during the summers now because Birch Hill has been what I look forward year round for the past six years.

What is your favorite memory from camp?

There are so many memories that I have from camp it hard to choose but think one of my most memorable moments is probably when we did Hercules as the play third session this past summer, James and I were backstage laughing after Keegan went on stage while tieing part of her costume on. We later had to tape on her chest piece and James and I could not keep it together, all while Zeeky was improving a lot of his lines, we just couldn’t stop laughing.

You have a lot of creative talents, could you tell us a little about them?

Sure! I play French Horn and Trumpet in my high school band, I am a photographer and I am competing in photography for my school against other students in NH, and I also sew, I actually made the tinkerbell costume for the play session one out of a fitted bed sheet. I got interested in photography at Birch Hill in the photo class and it was always in my schedule.

Wow, thank you Brooklyn for your thoughtful answers! And thank you for being such a stellar CIT. We are so happy to have you as a part of the Birch Hill Family!

TEEN ADVENTURE PROGRAM

Our Teen Adventure program is a ten day program designed for young adults who appreciate the Birch Hill philosophy and are looking to explore the many activities New England has to offer.